Editor's Notes

Every year the PMA (Photo Marketing Association) convention brings together all things photographic to one spot and attracts visitors and exhibitors from around the world. We see the show as a way to gather information about what's new, and perhaps as important, what's coming in terms of technology in the months and even years ahead. To accomplish our task we have a...

Travel and photography have been intertwined since the earliest days of the craft. At photography’s beginnings, photographers often carted gear on horseback and mule, bringing along tents for wet plate coating and processing in the field. Coated film changed all that, and amateurs and professionals alike soon discovered newfound freedom in where a camera could go, and a profusion of images showed us every corner of the globe.

An image sits in front of you on the monitor, something you caught on some stroll or an intentional trip into some world space that you wanted to share with the rest of the inhabitants, and there is something right about it and something wrong, something you missed along the way or that dropped out from...

For a number of years we have been presenting the work of photographers that we generally include under a “personal project” heading, meaning essays and long-term dedication to a subject, a “cause,” or a particular field of study that uses images to help tell the tale. These projects generally focus on a point of view, a social commentary, or a distinct subject that the photographer finds of interest. They draw upon a legacy of photo essays that are a mainstay of how the camera has always been and continues to be used to communicate, to amuse, to give you a sense of wonder, or to convince you about changes that need to be addressed to better the world. They are presented as “evidence” of a point of view and often ask you to consider more deeply the topic presented, or inspire you to undertake a body of work that both codifies your perception of the world around you and makes a statement about where you stand.

One question I have heard posed recently is whether, in the Internet age, socialization and learning among like-minded individuals can’t be better accomplished via the web. Sounds stupid, right? Yet many folks would have you believe that you can learn everything you need to know in whatever the realm of discussion or experience from the net. Thus, the rise of “webinars” and...

When pictures went digital it meant that images were information that could be treated as malleable things that could be edited like a text document. Along with custom processing programs with their attendant benefits came the ability to send and share images via the web, which for some meant that events and family pics could be easily shared and for others created a whole new approach to...

The title of this editorial sounds confusing, and confused, I know, but I am voicing here a mere mirror for our photographic times. There are so many options available these days, with each having its camp and cheerleaders, that it's little wonder that photographers might seem confused. To begin with film vs. film, there's been a continuing debate over whether it is...

When we all started out in photography we had something that lit the spark, some picture we took or some special interest that we knew would be part of our guiding light in the craft. Or we saw the work of another photographer, a mentor if you will, that we immediately connected to and saw in their work a path into our own inner vision. Our aim here at the magazine, along with how-tos and reviews, is to present the work of a wide diversity of photographers who have gotten involved on an intense level with one topic, one locale, or one point of view and created a body of work that speaks to their own inner vision. It can be a project or a life’s work, but in each case we understand and appreciate the tremendous amount of focus and energy it involves.

Every two years the photo industry and sundry crews from the art, printing, and Internet world gather in Cologne, Germany for what is indisputably the largest gathering of its sort in the world. While the halls are filled with various products and innovations, and probably the best minds in the photo world, the town gives itself over to photography with exhibits both sublime and ridiculous in...

Long banished for being retro, unconnected, and perhaps even unhip, this year’s worldwide photo show, photokina, marked the return of what might be called RLCs, or “Real Live Cameras,” at least in their appearance and build and in all instances in digital manifestations. Most have new features, new capabilities, and even have sprouted “antennae” for connectivity, yet at the same time have the look and feel of photographic instruments with world-class lenses and handling to match. We begin our photokina reports in this issue, and will follow through with other reports on new products in subsequent issues of Shutterbug.

In this issue we bring you our photokina report, information gathered over a week spent at the worldwide photo show held every two years in Cologne, Germany. Our team of reporters covered the vast show halls to bring you reports on the latest products and technology in the photo and imaging world as photokina has always been the source for new trends in photography, and a good deal of inside...

Point of view is determined by many factors, and is one of the most important aspects of making photos that define who you are and how you see. It can be where you stand, whether you are photographing from your normal height or elevating above the subject or shooting from kneeling position, the direction of light from your shooting position, and, perhaps most important, how much of the scene...

As we go to press we're about to depart for photokina, the worldwide photo and imaging show held every two years in Germany. This is the World Cup of imaging, a show so large that visiting all the exhibits takes up every minute of the five days in which the show is held. Virtually every manufacturer and supplier in the photo/imaging realm shows up there, as well as...

When the term pro gear is used these days it means more than a high-priced camera and fast lens, or a strobe setup that can fire three heads at once and still have juice to spare. Pros these days also have to be concerned with fast computers, terabytes of backup, and large-screen monitors that display images in all their glory. They also need the software to run it all, and the...

As many of you know a dear friend and colleague left us not too long ago. The passing of someone close to us always gives us pause to consider how precious, and fragile, life is. Monte Zucker was one of the most talented photographers and educators I ever had the pleasure to know.

His energy, enthusiasm, and sense of sharing his craft was amazing, and inspirational.